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Using a shovel for an oar, a B.C. man paddled a stolen canoe across the Niagara River from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Youngstown, N.Y.

“He had a desire to go to New York City,” said U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Michael Scioli. “He stole a canoe from a residence in Niagara-on-the-Lake and ventured across.”

After ditching the canoe at a boat ramp in Fort Niagara State Park, the man tried walking out of the park, but was spotted by border guards patrolling the area.

“It was 2 a.m., so it was kind of unusual for someone to come from that area that early in the morning,” Scioli said.

The man was arrested and charged with illegal entry into the U.S. He's currently being held at a federal detention centre.

It's believed the man took a bus from B.C. to Ontario before allegedly stealing the canoe early Thursday morning.

When the owners of the stolen canoe realized the boat was missing around 6 a.m. Thursday morning, they called the U.S. Coast Guard to alert them someone might have tried to sneak into the U.S. - though the man had already been arrested.

“That's one of the biggest keys we work with is tips and calls from the community on both sides of the water,” Scioli said.